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75 
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THE 


YOSEM ITE 


BY 

WALLACE     BRUCE 

ILLUSTRATED    BY 

JAMES   D.    SMILLIE. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD, 

BOSTON,    MASS. 

CHARLES    T.    DILLINGHAM, 

NEW    YORK. 
I880. 


Copyright,  1880,  WALLACE  BRUCK. 


8.  W.  GREEN'S  SON,  PHOTO-ENGRAVING  Co. 

Printer,  (Moss  Process), 

NEW  YORK.  NEW  YORK. 


of 


BY 

JAS.    ZX    SMILLIE. 


FRONTISPIECE  — "To  ANNIE." 

STANZA  I. 

"Sentinel  Rock  from  Hutching 's  Meadow" 

STANZA  II. 
Cathedral  Rock   and  Spires  from  foot  of  Eagle  Point." 

STANZA  III. 

"  El  Capitan  from  Bridal  Veil  Meadow." 

STANZA  IV. 

"  Yet  I  know  it  is  real,  for  I  see  the  spray 
Of  Yosemite  Fall  in  the  moonlight  play" 

STANZA  V. 

"And  I  know  that  Bethel  is  everywhere, 
For  prayer  is  the  foot  of  the  Angel  Stair" 

STANZA  VI. 

"  Eagle  Rock  and  Sentinel  Peak" 


STANZA  VII. 
"  Glacier  Rock  from  Tenaya  Canon" 

STANZA  VIII. 
"  South  Dome  and  Cloud's  Rest" 

STANZA  IX. 

"  Mirror  Lake  and  Tenaya  Canon" 

STANZA  X. 
"  Glacier  Rock,  Vernal  Point,  and  Mt.  Starr  King" 

STANZA  XI. 
Nevada    and    Vernal  Falls   and  the   High    Sierras" 

STANZA  XII. 

"  Po-ho-no,  or  Bridal  Veil  Fall" 

STANZA  XIII. 
"  The  Cap  of  Liberty  and  Nevada  Fall." 

STANZA  XIV. 

"  Yosemite  Valley  from  Cloud's  Rest" 

FINIS. 
"  Yosemite  Fall  and  Merced  River" 


THE    YOSEMITE. 


WAITING  to-night  for  the 
moon  to  rise, 
O'er  the  cliffs  that 

narrow  Yosemite's 
skies ; 


Waiting  for  shadows  to  pass  away, 
In  the  silver  light  of  a  midnight  day ; 
Waiting  entranced  like  one  in  a  dream, 
Alone  with  the  night  and  the  rushing  stream. 


II. 


Alone  in  a  Temple  vast  and  grand, 
With  spire  and  turret  on  every  hand — 
A  world's  Cathedral  with  walls  sublime 
Chiselled  and  carved  by  the  hand  of  time, 


And  over  all 

a  starlit  dome,  -^' '*rr«*  '  " 

Beneath  whose  arch  we  dream  of  home. 


III. 


But  the  darkling  shadows  dissolve,  and  now 
The  moonlight  touches  "  El  Capitan's"  brow, 


~ 


And  the  lesser  stars  grow  pale  and  dim 
Along  the  sheer-cut  mountain  rim  ; 
And,  touched  with  magic,  the  gray  walls  stand 
The  living  dream  of  a  fairy  land. 


IV. 


Yet  I  know  it  is  real, 

for  I  see  the  spray 
Of  Yosemite  Fall  in 

the  moonlight  play, 
Swaying  and  trembling — 

a  radiant  glow, 
From  the  sky  above 

to  the  vale  below  ; 
Like  the  ladder  of  old 

to  Jacob  given, 
A  line  of  light  from 

earth  to  heaven. 


V. 


And  there  comes  to  my  soul 

a  vision  dear  ' 
Of  angel  forms 

and  voices  here ; 
And  I  feel  the  sweet  and 

wondrous  power 
Of  a  Presence  that  fills 

the  midnight  hour ; 
And  I  know  that  Bethel 

is  everywhere — 
For  prayer  is  the  foot 

of  the  angel  stair. 


VI. 


A  light  divine — a  holy  rest — 
Floods  all  the  valley 

and  fills  my  breast ; 
The  very  mountains  are 

hushed  in  sleep, 


From  Eagle  Point 

to  Sentinel  Peak  ; 
And  a  life-long  lesson  is 

taught  me  to-night, 
When  shrouded  in  shadow 
to  wait  for  the  light. 


VII. 

Waiting  at  dawn  for  the  morn  to  break, 
By  the  crystal  waters  of  Mirror  Lake ; 
Waiting  to  see  the  mountains  gray, 
Clearly  defined  in  the  light  of  day  ; 
Reflected  and  throned  in  beauty  here — 
A  lakelet  that  seems  but  "The  Valley's  Tear." 


VIII. 


Waiting— but  look  !  for  the  Dome  so  bright 
Is  floating  now  in  a  sea  of  light ; 
And  Cloud's  Rest,  glistening 

with  caps  of  snow, 
Inverted  stands  in 

the  vale  below, 


With  tow'ring  peaks 

and  cliffs  on  high 
Hanging  to  meet  another  sky, 


IX. 


O  crystal  gem  in  setting  rare! 


O  soul-like  mirror 

in  middle  air ! 
O  forest-heart  of 

eternal  love — 
Earth-born,  but  pure 
as  heaven  above  ! 
This  Sabbath  morn 

we  find  in  thee 
The  poet's  dream  of  purity. 


X. 


The  hours  pass  by,  and  I'm  waiting  now 

On  Glacier  Point's  o'erhanging  brow, 
Waiting  to  see  the  picture  pass, 
Like  the  fleeting  show 

of  a  magic  glass — 
Waiting — and  still 

the  vision  seems 
Woven  of  light  and 

colored  with  dreams. 


But  the  cloud-capped  towers, 
and  pillars  gray, 
Securely  stand  in 

the  light  of  day  ; 
The  Temple  wall  is 

firm  and  sure ; 
The  worshippers  pass, 

but  It  shall  endure — 
And  will  while  loud 

Yosemite  calls 
To  bright  Nevada  and  Vernal  Falls. 


XII. 

O  grand  and  majestic  organ-choir 
With  deep-toned  voices  that  never  tire ! 
O  anthem  written  in  notes  that  glow 
On  the  rainbow  bars  of  Po-ho-no ! 


O  sweet  "Te  Deum"  forever  sung 

With  spray  of  incense  heavenward  swung ! 


XIII. 


U  Thy  music  my  soul  with  rapture  thrills, 

And  there  comes  to  my  lips, 
m-**  "The  templed  hills, 
Thy  rocks  and  rills" 

— a  nation's  song, 
From  valley  to  mountain 
borne  along  ; 


My  country's  temple,  built  for  thee, 
Crowned  with  the  "  Cap  of  Liberty"  ! 


O  country  reaching 

from  shore  to  shore ! 
O  fairest  land  the 

wide  world  o'er! 
Columbia  dear, 

whose  mountains  rise 
From  fertile  valleys  to  sunny  skies — 
Stand  firm  and  sure,  and  bold  and  free, 
As  thy  granite-walled  Yosemite ! 


YOSEMITE   FALL   AND   MERCED   RIVER. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


NOV  1 2  1 
NOV     2  REITD 
0 


JUN5    1974 

Jl)N27'80-* 


MAY    5 '85 

MAY  1 ?  1985 
JUN  12 1990 

100m-8,'65(F6282s8)2373 


3  2106  00206  2914 


